


Side by Side

by orenjikitty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fight me on that, Mentions of Sex, Pharmercy Appreciation Week, Prepare for some major shade, Torbjorn's Angela's uncle, hinted Lenily (Day 2), implied sex, tokophobia tw (Day 2)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:09:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9706496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orenjikitty/pseuds/orenjikitty
Summary: Pharmercy Appreciation Week Promptsday 7 - Night Time





	1. Store Brand Chocolates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 - Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shade...

Fareeha vaguely remembered it; as far as she knew, Ana made up the memory and was going senile. But Ana insisted it was true, Torbjorn and Reinhardt backing her up (like always), but Jack remained silent behind his mask.

So Fareeha semi-believed it when she was told that she got into Angela’s Valentine’s day pile when she was 13, running around on a massive sugar high that ended up with her being rescued from the top of the control tower of Watchpoint: Gibraltar.

What she did remember though, was the jealousy she felt when she saw another man stop in the medical lab, her favourite hang out besides the armory, with some crummy box of chocolates that Angela accepted with a smile before hiding it in her already cramped office.

Angela never turned down the chocolates, but never touched them either. “Too much sugar. Bad for your health,” she explained, giving her a smile and one of the smaller boxes. “Don’t tell your mom. Now go, I have work to do.”

She remembered blowing a raspberry, watching Angela leave for...somewhere...Jesse showed up to find her afterwards then….she didn't remember anything after that.

Now, years later, she’s being reminded of that incident, only weeks before the aforementioned date was to arrive again.

Her fondness for the doctor wasn’t a secret. They were partners on the field, being the only two able to provide air coverage. Hana insisted she was part of the “Aerial Superiority” team but that was normally met with a scoff from Angela, making the two bicker like mother and daughter.

Still, their teamwork on the field has translated to friendship off it. Fareeha found herself gravitating more towards the normally reserved Doctor, spending lunches with her in her office (the only way she can guarantee Angela eats) and soon, she found herself with her own little mini office within Angela’s.

It was easy to excuse the time they were spending together, after all, partnership in the air required trust on the person you were with. Fareeha was confident in her own skills in the air but never before did she have someone trailing her. It was weird. It was nice.

She never wanted it to end.

So Fareeha teased and flirted, using puns and quips to get a raise out of Angela. Angela surprised her by replying back, even going as far as pranking her at times; a missing gear here, something in her boot there, all done with a teasing smirk from the medic. When asked, and the rest of the team does, Fareeha shrugs the question off. Did she like Angela? Yes. Was she going to act on it?

She wasn’t sure.

Not yet anyways.

But Valentine’s day was approaching, the memory drudged up by her mother’s constant stories of years past made her wonder if she should act on it.

* * *

Angela sighed, the monitor showing her the hallway camera, Genji hesitating on knocking for the upteenth time. He, like the rest of the men who had come by thus far, carried with him some flowers and chocolates. Fareeha snickered at her now designated spot, the couch and coffee table in the office that was covered with reports the other woman had to work on.

“It’s not funny,” Angela said, giving Fareeha a glare before straightening. Genji entered, Fareeha noticing the change in demeanor in her training partner right away. “Hi, Genji,”

“Hello, Dr. Ziegler,” Genji replied,  attempting to hide the very noticeable flowers behind his back. He looked around the room, Fareeha lifting her cup when his surprise gaze landed on her. “Ah. Fareeha, I didn’t realize you were here too.”

“Oh, don't mind me. I’m just her training partner, filing our paperwork, that’s all,” Fareeha reminded him, taking a sip of her tea. “Pretend I’m not here.”

“Ah right,” Genji coughed, turning his attention back to Angela. “These are for you,” he said, presenting the flowers and chocolates in his hand. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner tonight.”

“Oh these are lovely,” Angela commented, Fareeha attempting not to laugh. She knew that tone of voice. It was the same sarcastic tone she often used in their private comms, or when she’s just with the girls. “Unfortunately, I can't. We have a training mission tonight.”

“That we do,” Fareeha added, playing her part. She didn't look up from the report she was filling in, signing it before adding it to the pile Angela had to sign as well. “7 PM sharp.”

Fareeha could see Genji deflate. She kinda felt bad; the man making his advances know but not really taking the hint. “Well, enjoy your training session. Fareeha,” he nodded as he left.

The door hissed shut, Angela turning back to the monitors to see him sulk away. “You’re gonna have to start paying me for all these excuses,” Fareeha jibbed, getting up to see the box of chocolates. “Ohh Caramel.”

“Take it, I hate these,” Angela said, shoving the box in her hands. “Every year, the same store brand box. Every year. You’d think he’d get it.”

“More for me,” Fareeha answered between bites. Angela rolled her eyes, sitting down on the couch with a heavy sigh. “You’re gonna have to be blunt with him.”

“I don't want to hurt him.”

“You’re going to end up hurting him no matter what,” Fareeha contested, placing the chocolates on Angela’s desk. Angela frowned at her, knowing she was right. “Besides, Genji’s a big boy...cyborg...man thing…”

“You’re going to make me do training tonight because of that help, aren’t you?” Angela questioned, Fareeha nodding as she sat back down beside her. “Argh, at least I’d be out of here and no one can bug me with more chocolate.”

“Well since you don't want those, maybe these would be better?” Fareeha said, digging into the duffel bag she had on the side of the couch to produce a neatly wrapped box.  “I was going to eat them already but I thought it’d be fitting to share.”

“These…” Angela’s eyes widened when she saw the ribbon. “Where did you get these?”

Fareeha shrugged, Angela’s eyes narrowing as she slowly undid the ribbon. “Fine...remember last week when I had a family gathering to go to?”

“The one you and Ana left for?” Angela remembered, Fareeha nodding.

“Mama and Ammi’s anniversary plans were to spend some time as a family. Luckily, that meant an impromptu trip to Geneva. I knew you’d like some real Swiss chocolates since you hated all the ones you got from years before so I figured…”

“Thank you,” Angela whispered, picking up one of the truffles to put in her mouth. Fareeha watched as Angela closed her eyes, savouring the taste of the chocolates of her homeland. Fareeha had tried them in the store, picking out a box that had both truffles and pralines to make sure Angela could taste both. Angela opened her eyes again, smile on her face as she leaned up to give Fareeha a kiss on the cheek. “About that training session…”

Fareeha smiled, placing her hand on top of Angela’s. “I was thinking more like that Italian restaurant down the road. It’s still for 7. Just us.”

Angela laughed, blush creeping onto her cheek. There was a comfortable silence between them, Angela just playing with the ribbon from the Teuscher box. “For what it’s worth, Fareeha; All you had to do was ask.”

Fareeha smirked. “I know. It is fun to see all the flustered guys though, thinking they stood a chance against all this.”

Angela just laughed, turning Fareeha’s head to place a kiss on her lips. “I told myself I wouldn’t say finally, but finally.”

“I chose my moment.”

“Cliché much?” Angela teased, popping a praline into her mouth.

“You love it,” Fareeha said, wrapping an arm around Angela, Angela’s smile all the answer she needed.


	2. Day at the Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: references to pregnancy. You've been warned.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Prompt for Day 2 - Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is version 1 of this prompt. Both version 2s of the first 2 days will come at the end of the week.

“This way please. The tour is about to start,” the guide announced, waving her hand for people to come closer. The other parents pushed the children to follow, Akilah looking back to her parents who remained near the back of the group. Angela waved her off, readjusting the sunglasses on her face as Fareeha did the same. Kara Oxton-Stewart pulled at Akilah’s arm, Akilah turning to her friend to follow the group.

It was surreal for them, to be in the museum highlighting their lives. Angela felt Fareeha’s arm on her, urging her to follow the group too. Around them were replicas of their armors, the real armor in cased in glass. Angela smiled at the reaction from the children as gasped in awe at Reinhardt’s ceremonial Paragon armor. Angela looked at it fondly, remembering the last time the old man wore it.

The guide was explaining the first Omnic Crisis to the group of 6 year olds. Angela spotted Akilah giggling as the guide pointed to the original strike team, the pose of her grandmother on top of an omnic making her and Kara laugh. Kara looked back to them, Fareeha just giving the girls a shrug as they followed.

“There she is,” Fareeha pointed out, Angela following her wife’s gaze to Fareeha’s original armor, the Raptora Mark VI. Fareeha moved towards it, looking at it fondly. “I miss it.”

“You do?” Angela asked, giving her wife a skeptical look. “We burnt so much fuel with that thing.”

Fareeha chuckled, “But we met because of that thing. We became partners because of that thing,” Fareeha reminded her, Angela conceding with a smile. “The Mark XI just doesn’t have the same feel to it, you know? It’s too smooth.”

“Thank god,” Angela said, bumping Fareeha on the shoulder, wobbling a bit as Fareeha steadied her again. “They keep kicking me.”

“They’re just excited because they know where we are,” Fareeha said, stroking the grown stomach. “Be nice to your mom though,” she scolded the stomach.

 _“Captain Amari! A word!”_ they heard the video play, a younger Fareeha looking back at the camera. _“How does it feel to be working with your childhood heroes?”_

_Fareeha smiled, taking her helmet off. “It feels great! I never thought I would have this opportunity.”_

_“Who did you look up to the most? Who was your personal hero?” A different journalist asked._

_“Reinhardt and my mother, of course.”_

Angela laughed at the newsreel, Fareeha shrugging at the clip. “It’s true.”

“Every mission Reinhardt was assigned to, you wanted to be on too. And as your partner, I was dragged with you both,” Angela reminded her. “He kept making fun of us.”

“He was right though,” Fareeha said, wrapping her arm around her wife. They continued at a more leisurely pace through the museum, looking at a replica of Jesse’s sarape, Torbjorn’s hammer and turret design before stopping at the wall that showed everyone’s height. “Torb never liked this wall.”

“Because he was the benchmark for kids to beat,” Angela giggled, Fareeha laughing with her. “As was Lena on the girls side of things.”

“Thank goodness Kara took after Emily,” Fareeha said, watching as the two girls looked at the museum with a bored expression. Angela couldn’t blame the two for being bored. They grew up with most, if not all, of the members showcased in the museum. Kara’s godfather was Lucio. Akilah’s frequent babysitter was Zenyatta.

Lena was still an active agent, and so was Fareeha. Angela, for the most part, was considered retired from active missions. She stayed on the base, heading the medical team, and running the day to day business of the new Overwatch. Starting a family, and expecting twins in the next couple of months, also helped with not going on missions. Especially when she had the entire strike team ready and willing to stopping her from coming.

“And this, is the Valkyrie suit. Dr. Angela Ziegler used it as a first responder for both the original Overwatch and its current iteration.” The tour guide said, the other parents taking a picture of her old suit. Angela looked at it, remembering the day she donated Valkyrie 1.1 (1.0 was at their own home) to the museum. It served its purpose and over the course of the years, she had developed it further. Valkyrie 5 was safe in her office, not that she’d been able to use it in months. “Dr. Ziegler was a pioneer in healing nanite technology. Most hospitals now use the technology she developed for injuries.”

Akilah looked back at her, raising an eyebrow as the tour guide continued to talk. “If you’d follow me, we have a clip of an interview Dr. Ziegler did while she was still an active member.”

Fareeha mirrored the look on their daughter, Kara looking back too, confused but both girls quietly followed the group. “Do you remember this interview?” Fareeha asked, sitting beside her at the back.

“Vaguely,” Angela whispered, as the interview started.

 _“Thank you all for coming,”_ Angela watched herself smile at the press. She did remember this interview. It was just after she had been recruited, back when she was still so young. Fareeha grinned, seeing the then 27 year old Angela, Akilah and Kara looking back at her then back to the screen, not believing their eyes. Angela shrugged, watching the two listen to the interview.

_“What made you go into medicine?” one of the journalists asked._

_“Family legacy. My father was a doctor, as was my grandmother,” Angela explained, adjusting her glasses. “I looked up to them, as well as the various other leaders in the medical field: Wafaa El-Sadr, Monique Frize, Madeleine Brès, Jane Elizabeth Hodgson. They all contributed to who I am now. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”_

_“And the technology you’re developing?”_

_“It’s going to change the world.”_

The tour continued, showing the fights from the earlier days of the new Overwatch. Clips of Mercy flying up to Pharah, both of them flying through the sky sent a pang of jealousy into Angela. Another clip showed her descending down towards some people trapped in the rubble, the glow of her staff accented by the setting sun. She wasn’t able to do that anymore. And she won't be able to for a long time.

Kara and Akilah ran around with their classmates as they paid for the gifts the girls had chosen, the tour finally finished. Akilah and Kara shared the same grimace as everyone of their classmates repeated Lena’s favourite catchphrase. “My mum doesn’t sound like that!” Kara finally broke once they reached the car. “That’s not all she says!”

“Unfortunately mine does say that,” Akilah frowned, Angela laughing at the wit of their 6 year old daughter. “She thinks her puns are funny but they’re not.”

“Oh come on, Aki,” Fareeha said, looking back at their daughter through the rearview mirror. “They’re kind of funny.”

“Nope.”

“So, girls,” Angela cut in before her daughter could reply. “Do you have any ideas on who you’re going to write your report on heroes on?”

“Hanzo!” Kara exclaimed, waving the toy bow they had bought her from the gift shop.

“And you Aki?” Fareeha asked.

“Grandma.” Akilah replied quickly. “I can't choose just one of you. You’re both my heroes. So it’d be best to just use Grandma. The twins can write about the two of you.”

Angela laughed, taking Fareeha’s hand into hers, giving it a quick kiss as the girls chatting filled the rest of the car ride.


	3. Paper Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who knew that the doctor was allergic to flowers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the tooth rotting fluff

Fareeha noticed, that over the course of her knowing Angela, she tended to shy away from flowers. She never rejected them when they were given to her as a gift, but she couldn’t recall ever seeing a hint of a flower in her offices.

She noticed one day, after a peacekeeping mission in Zagreb, a little girl tug on Angela’s hand, handing her a small bouquet of local flowers. Angela hid it well but Fareeha saw her flinch. She watched as the medic smile fondly at the young girl, saying thanks in the native language (Fareeha was certain that Angela spoke every language in the world at this point), taking a sniff of the flowers hesitantly. The girl giggled, running back to her parents as Angela straightened, heaving a sigh as she walked back to the transport waiting for them flowers in hand.

“Tch,” Fareeha heard from beside her, looking down at Torbjorn. “I hope she brought her medicine,” the man grumbled out, Fareeha realizing he too was looking at Angela.

“What do you mean?” Fareeha asked. 

“My niece is too stubborn, too good to reject presents,” he said, glaring at the flowers Angela held. “She’s allergic to them, those flowers. But she accepts them. Always does.”

“Oh,” Fareeha realizing now why he was concerned. “Will she be okay?”

“Should be, if she gets her medicine in time,” he said with a huff,  packing up his tools once again. “At least it’s not bees. That would kill her.”

Fareeha nodded, taking a mental note to make sure to stop by Angela’s office after they get back to make sure she did take her medicine. “Oh and Fareeha,” she heard Torbjorn call out, smile on his face. “She’s not allergic to chocolates or lactose. She loves birds and snowmen figurines.”

Fareeha blushed, nodding again as she left him to pack, walking over to a smiling Angela when she approached, Angela offering her one of the flowers given to her.

* * *

 

Angela had noticed a growing pattern since the mission in Zagreb. At first, it was a simple daisy, plain white paper with highlighter used for the inside and the stem. It was cute and she couldn’t place who had left it in her office.

The weeks that followed, more and more paper flowers started appearing. They started of simple, like the daisy, but as the weeks passed, so did the intricacy of the flowers. A paper rose, a tulip, some peonies soon followed, each one left in her office without her knowing.  

She had asked Athena if she spotted who had left it, the AI reminding her that she had asked for all recording to stop in her office for patient confidentiality. Angela frowned, not really wanting to start recording just to catch who was leaving her the adorable presents but to also thank them.

So she kept a tally of who visited her that day, eventually narrowing it down to the 5 people she had spent significant time with that day and who would have had time to leave her the present when she was turned away. 

Fareeha, Jesse, Lena, Hana and Lucio were in her office the day the next flower was left, making all of them candidates. Lucio was the top of her list; he had access to the room even without her presence. He had volunteered to help her with medical inquiries, often taking the minor injuries off her plate. 

But Lucio was also a consummate professional, not bothering to go into her office after hours. He never lingered close by when he wasn’t needed either, often working out of his room for his new album.

Lena and Hana were also stricken out of the short list when Angela remembered why they were there in the first place. The two just liked to hang around her to bug her, often to a point where Angela had to kick them out of the office, always with a smile, just so she can get some work done.

Jesse, she understood why he was there. His cybernetics in his stomach was acting up again, making it painful for him to eat, let alone breathe. He spent a significant amount of time in there with her, with her fixing the plate that kept him breathing. Where he found the time to leave the flower, she wouldn’t know, and from what she remembered of their conversations, Jesse was not into her in that way.

Which left Fareeha. Fareeha, whose charm and smile often made her stop breathing. Fareeha who, when out of her armor, was still the same pun loving woman she had met all those years ago. She was there to have lunch together, she remembered, using the excuse of needing to go over some hand signals for their upcoming mission. 

Jack had assigned them together when they went on missions, providing much needed aerial support the original Overwatch sorely lacked. Angela was happy for the new vantage point, able to see members easier and respond faster. Fareeha was hesitant at first, not wanting to be liable since she knew being in the air meant easier target for snipers. But with enough practice, they worked out a perfect rhythm, eventually becoming so synchronized that Jack didn’t dare send one on a mission without the other.

Angela smiled, picking up the three paper lavender stalks that was left for her, blush creeping on her cheeks as she smelled them, savouring the smell of the crisp paper and the faint smell of incense and jet fuel.

* * *

Fareeha gulped, wanting nothing more than for the world to swallow her whole at that moment. She would even take Widowmaker (though reformed now, she knew could be asked a favour) to shoot her before she had to go through with this.

Hanzo just shook his head, Zarya giving her a push towards Angela’s room, the paper bouquet of roses, narcissus and gardenias in her hand rustling as she went forward. 

When Zarya found out she was the one stealing the coffee filters for art projects, she thought she would be made fun of. But instead, the former Olympic athlete just grabbed her by the hand and brought her to Hanzo, who was meditating.

_ “Comrade!” Zarya greeted and Fareeha watched Hanzo flinch. “She needs your guidance in origami.” _

_ “Oh?” Hanzo asked, a rare smile on his mouth. “So she is the one leaving the paper flowers in the doctor’s office.” _

_ Fareeha blushed. “She’s allergic to the real things. Don’t tell her I know,” she pleaded, only getting understanding smiles from her teammates. _

_ “Come, let me show you how to make truly fantastic ones.” _

So now, after weeks of tutelage under the master and apprentice paper artists (Zarya fully admitted it calms her down, and she understood why), she found herself in front of Angela’s door, bouquet in hand.

She had summoned the courage to ask Angela out, stammering her way through the entire exchange while Angela just smiled at her. Fareeha was prepared for rejection, she really was since this was Angela. Angela had the world at her fingertips, Fareeha being reminded each and every day that the doctor’s beauty attracted both men and women alike.

So when Angela agreed, setting the time and the date for them of that Friday night, Fareeha was taken back. She freaked out in her own way, telling Hanzo and Zarya during their weekly origami session, both of them laughing at her along with the infrequent member of their little club, Genji. “You’ll be fine,” he assured.

Fareeha wasn’t sure. The stoic, brave soldier façade she wore was disarmed easily but Angela’s smile. She didn’t know how to be Fareeha around Angela. 

She was in love. Gods was she ever in love.

“Just knock!” Hanzo yelled, Zarya giving her a thumbs up from around the corner. Fareeha lifted her hand, hesitating before a bright blue light appeared in front of her. 3 loud knocks on the door and the light was gone.

“You’ll thank me later, love!” Lena cried out, already down the hall with Zarya and Hanzo. 

Before Fareeha could respond, the door hissed open, Angela peering out to look at her. “Guten Abig, Fareeha.”

“Hi.”

Angela giggled, taking off her glasses. “I see you’ve made significant progress in your paper arts.”

Fareeha blushed harder. “You...you knew?”

“Zarya isn’t the most subtle when she’s excited about progress,” Angela explained, Fareeha chuckling at the revelation. “Besides, the comms were open when my uncle told you I was allergic to flowers,” Angela replied, shaking her head. “I think he did it on purpose.”

Fareeha just laughed, remembering the conversation that prompted this. “These are for you.”

Angela gasped, taking the bouquet in her hands. “These are amazing. Thank you,” Angela said, sniffing the bouquet. “Is that...vanilla? And coffee?”

“Lena insisted on spraying them with something you’d like,” Fareeha explained. “I veto’d Hana’s suggestions of chocolate scented flowers.”

“That would have been good too,” Angela admitted, taking another sniff of the flowers. “Thank you. Really” Angela said, leaning up to give Fareeha a kiss on her already reddened cheeks. “Let me grab my jacket and we can go.”

“Okay,” Fareeha said with a smile. 

  
  



	4. One Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It just takes one second to make everything change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hurt/Comfort  TW: Canon-typical Violence
> 
> I’m not really happy with this but i’ve been having more fun writing tomorrow’s prompt instead. Enjoy

One second.

That’s all it took for Fareeha’s world to crumble.

A moment’s hesitation and the sound of thunder echoed in the night sky, Pharah checking the area for the source of the sound when she heard it.

“MERCY!!!” D.Va called out, Pharah’s eyes immediately spotting the falling medic.

“NOOOOO!!!!” Her thrusters roared into life, diving fast, trying her best to catch up. Gods please let her catch up, please.

“Pharah look out!” she heard in her comms, the rpg hitting her thruster before everything went black.

* * *

Fareeha woke with a groan, eyes adjusting to the sunlight coming into her room. Wait…

“Oh thank the heavens,” she heard Ana before her mother engulfed her in a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Ammi…” she said, not recognizing her voice.

“Hush now, habibti. You need to rest,” Ana assured her, wiping the tears that has come out.

“Angela…”

Fareeha saw Ana flinch at the name of her girlfriend...no fiancee. She remembered asking her Angela’s hand before that mission.

“Not now.”

“Ammi, please…”

Ana sighed, moving to grab the wheel chair from the corner of the room. Pain shot through Fareeha’s body as she tried to sit up, Ana helping her move from the bed to the wheelchair. The door hissed open and shut, Ana remaining silent as she pushed Fareeha down the hall. Ana knocked on the door, Lucio peeking his head out to see who it was. “Oh… Glad you’re up, Fareeha.”

“Where’s Angela?” she asked, already feeling a sense of dread. The door opened further, Ana pushing her inside to see Angela on the bed. Her eyes went wide, tubes and monitors were hooked up to Angela. She looked like she was sleeping, bandages on her arms and face. Fareeha’s eyes started to water, not believing what she was seeing. “No….”

“No…”

* * *

She glared at Lucio, the medic sighing as he moved away from her again. “You’d have to try, Fareeha,” he said in a defeated tone. “She wouldn’t like to see you like this. We don’t like seeing you like this.”

“Get. Out.” Fareeha growled out, hand gripping the wheelchair tighter.

“Fareeha….”

“Out!”

Lucio sighed, opening the door to the rec room turned rehab room, giving her a forlonged sigh as he left, Ana coming in instead.

“You can’t keep doing that to him. It’s not fair,” Ana reminded her. Fareeha huffed, turning back to look out the window. “Fareeha, you have to let us help you.”

“I don’t need help. I’ve survived worst,” she reminded her, lifting her prostetic arm.

“Fareeha.”

“Just...leave me alone…” Fareeha pleaded, Ana sighing as she left the room.

Lena frowned when she saw Ana come out of the room, tears filling her eye. “Ana, you okay love?” she asked quietly.

“I...I dont know how to get through to her. She won’t let anyone in,” Ana confessed.

“It’s the pain talking, she’ll come around eventually,” Lena said, wrapping Ana in a hug. “Care for a spot of tea? Emily just sent me a new batch.”

Ana managed to smile, nodding as Lena led her to the kitchen, not seeing that Fareeha was by the door, listening to the conversation from behind the door.

* * *

After a week of rehab, Fareeha was finally given use of crutches, allowing her to move around the base on her own. During that time though, she wasn’t allowed to visit Angela.

Fareeha growled, Reinhardt’s large hand pushing her back and away from the medical wing. “Let me through, Reinhardt.”

“No, Fareeha,” he advised, standing firm in the hallway. “You need to calm down. You need to rest.”

“I don’t need rest,” she spat out, glaring daggers at her former hero. “I want to see Angela.”

“She will still be there later. For now, you need to rest. You just woke hours ago. You lost a lot of blood.”

“Let me see her.”

“No.”

“Reinhardt!”

“Fareeha!” He yelled out, stern look on his face. “She would NOT want to see you like this. No one wants to see you like this. Please… for all of us… rest.” Fareeha backed away, turning with her crutches. “I will personally call you if something changes.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Ana sighed, finding Fareeha up even after the yelling match she had with Reinhardt hours ago. “You should be resting, habibti.”

Fareeha sighed, looking up to the stars. “I couldn’t rest. Everything in my room smells like her, reminds me of her.”

“Angela will be fine. She’s strong. She’ll make it through this,” Ana said, taking a seat beside her daughter.

“It’s been 4 weeks, Mama,” Fareeha reminded her. “4 weeks she’s been in that coma. I know Zenyatta and Lucio are keeping an eye on her but…”

“I know habibti, I know,” Ana said, placing a calming hand on Fareeha’s. “But give her time. She’ll find her way back to us. But for now, you need to sleep. Stay in my room for now.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I will put a sleep dart in you myself if you don’t go to bed right now,” Ana threatened, a small smile, the first one in the last couple of days, creeped onto Fareeha’s face. “There’s the smile we’ve been missing.”

“Thanks, Mama.”

“Anytime, ya amar.”

* * *

Fareeha walked quietly into the room, the sound of monitors the only thing she could hear as she entered.

6 weeks now since that day and still no signs of Angela waking up.

Once she was able to walk on her own accord, she was allowed to visit Angela . Those first couple of weeks, she was angry, destructive and self-loathing. She wasn’t fast enough. She left Angela to float behind her, eventually leading to her here.

But she learned that it wasn’t her fault. Hana showed her that she was fast enough, that even after she was shot, she managed to catch Angela, the impact with the building knocking both of them out. Lucio, Zarya and Zenyatta all helped her recover, Ana and Reinhardt providing her some moral support as the weeks went on.

“Hi, Angie,” she whispered, taking her normal seat beside the bed. The monitors continued to beep, Angela still remaining silent. “I’m still grounded from combat but Zarya’s cleared me for doing more rigorous exercise.”

She laughed, slipping her hand into Angela’s. “I...I didn’t think that me proposing to you would lead to this. That, mere hours of being engaged, we’d both be sent on a mission that would nearly kill both of us.” Fareeha confessed. “God I miss you.”

“I miss your laugh, your smile, your everything,” Fareeha said, lifting Angela’s hand to kiss it. “The pillows in my room don’t smell like you anymore.”

“Mama tries to cheer me up, Lena too and while it helps, they’re not you.” Fareeha choked down a sob, “Please...come back to me soon.”

The monitors continued to beep, the sound of her sobs accompanying it. It wasn’t fair...it just wasn’t fair.

“Fa...Fareeha?” a familiar but disused voice made her look up, tired blue eyes looking down at her.

Fareeha sobbed fully now, bringing the hand up to her lips again. “I’m here, Angie. I’m here. I won’t ever leave you.”

Angela gave her a weak smile. “I know.”


	5. Shore Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 5 prompt - Fairy Tale/AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Mass Effect Crack AU. Hope you like stupidity.

_ This is Citadel Control, you are clear to land, SSV Gibraltar. Welcome home. _

"Glad to be back," Fareeha said, grin on her face as the bridges started to extend towards their airlocks. Lena and Winston smiled up at her, starting their docking procedures as Fareeha left them to talk to the rest of the crew.

"All right listen up," she called out, most of them turning towards her. "We have 3 days here. Relax, catch up to family, shop, drink. Do what you need to but for the love of the Goddess, please stay out of jail."

A chorus of laughs, even from Angela echoed through the room, Fareeha frowning at her crew. "I'm not joking."

"We know you're not, Captain," Genji said, wrapping his arm around her. "We'll behave, we promise."

Fareeha involuntarily shivered, not trusting the words of one of her Drell assassins. "I swear Genji, if you repeat what you did last time, I will let the entire Blue Sun Army beat you up."

"Hey! It wasn't just me! Zenyatta helped with that as did Lucio and Lena and Hana," Genji defended, Fareeha glaring at him, Lucio and Zenyatta giving him a high five.

"Smugglers are the worst jugglers," Lucio commented, using his biotics to emphasize his point, juggling 5 coffee mugs at once

“The worst,” Zenyatta added, ‘smiling’ as much as his Geth facial plates allowed him.

"Stop corrupting the Geth!" Fareeha yelled out.  "Either way, don't repeat it!" Fareeha threatened, giving each of her crew members a glare. The doors hissed open, each of them giving her a pat on the shoulder as they exited, family members and friends greeting the crew as they reached the docks. "They're going to do something stupid, aren't they?"

Angela chuckled, slipping her hand into Fareeha's. "I wouldn't doubt it. Wanna take a bet how long it takes?"

"I bet you dinner tomorrow. 12 hours," Fareeha said, kissing the human sentinel on top of her head as they walked back to the captain's quarters to get their belongings.

"I give them 6, max," Angela asserted, Fareeha frowning at the medic's confidence.

* * *

"I seriously hate you," Fareeha said, Lena blushing from head to toe as Amelie strode out of the cell with the confidence that can only come from being a former Armali sniper. "Both of you! 1 hour!  **ONE** ! And you're already getting arrested for indecent exposure!"

"It was -" Lena started, Fareeha just turning to give her a glare that silenced her immediately.

"Don't fret, cherie. Fareeha's just mad she wasn't the one caught this time," Amelie replied, standing right in front of Fareeha. The two asari commandos stared each other down before Fareeha turned in a huff. "I will pay you back in Brandy, don't worry."

"You fucking better!" Fareeha yelled, the door opening from the cells to the main room. “Now I owe Angela dinner too…”

Angela just laughed as she wrapped Lena in her jacket, Lena mumbling a hurried thanks as Fareeha continued to stomp her way to out the C-Sec station. "You owe her, big time."

"Did she have to call Jack to get us released?" Lena asked, blushing harder as they rest of the officers gave her a knowing smile.

"Worst. She had to call a favour from Gabe."

* * *

"Hello again, Captain Amari," Gabriel greeted, grin on his face. "Welcome back, Dr. Ziegler. It's been," he stopped to look at the clock on his desk. "3 hours since I last saw you."

"I will punch you in the face," Fareeha retorted, Gabriel chuckling at the threat.

"4 hours into this leave and you've already been here twice," he said, Angela waving at him as she carried the grocery bags they had just picked up. "Pretty sure that's a new record."

"I don't care if you outrank me, Gabe, I will seriously punch you so hard your Uncle Vega will feel it," Fareeha replied, Angela putting a calming hand on her girlfriend.

"Hey now, don't bring my uncle into this," Gabriel warned, smile still on his face. "Luckily for you, their charges aren't as bad as the other two."

"And those charges are?" Angela inquired, credit chit already in hand to pay the bail.

"Hacking, attempted hacking, script botting," Gabriel listed, "Inappropriate boasting, punching an officer in the face..."

"Okay, okay I get it," Fareeha interrupted, Angela's chit pinging to indicate they've paid the bail. "One guess who it is..."

"Hi Captain!" Sombra greeted, the young quarian waved from her cell, Angela feeling Hana's glare from beneath her helmet, telling Fareeha and Angela all they needed to know.

"Latrine duties for a month," Fareeha ordered, Hana already wanting to argue the decision but Angela just shook her head at the young quarian member of their crew, Hana huffing but didn't say anything.

"Thanks Gabe," Angela said with a smile, the small thundercloud above Fareeha's head already growing. "I better get her home before it starts to rain in here."

"I HEARD THAT!"

* * *

Fareeha rubbed the bridge of her nose, Angela setting down a glass of Serrice Ice Brandy on the coffee table, kissing the top of Fareeha’s crest before sitting herself down beside her girlfriend. “Well, you have to admit they make most of their time back.”

The asari groaned, already thinking of the report she has to make about the two incidents. “In 7 hours of being docked, we’ve been to C-Sec three times: Hana and Sombra getting arrested at the arcade, Amelie and Lena at the alleyway near the docks and Lucio, GOD DAMNED LUCIO, for smuggling pets in without a license.”

“They were cute,” Angela defended. “Also, I’m fairly certain Hana and Sombra’s arrest can be pegged as racism. How dare they make an assumption that our Quarian engineer was using a hack or scripts in that game.”

“Because our other resident Quarian was doing just that,”Fareeha argued, taking a large gulp of ther drink.

_ Captain Amari,  _ Athena chimed in, the monitor in front of them lighting up.  _ Your mother is on line one. _

“I’m not here.”

_ Matriarch Ana has a clear view of the Gibraltar. Not to mention she is the one that authorized our docking permit, _ Athena said, Angela laughing at the apparent cheekiness of their AI.

“Take a message then! I swear Athena…”

_ Understood. _

“Don’t take it out on the poor AI,” Angela reprimanded, hitting Fareeha on the arm. “And you can’t keep blowing Ana off. We’re going to have to see her sooner or later.”

“I’d prefer later….” Fareeha grumbled, pouting into her drink.

“The more you put it off, the higher the chances of her just coming in here unannounced. And you remember what happened last time,” Angela her.

“How can I not? Goddess, that headache last for weeks.”

“That’s what you’re taking from that? The headache?” Angela asked, not believing what Fareeha was saying. “She walked in on us, mid-meld, while I was riding you with a strap on.” 

“She let us finish!” Fareeha defended. “She did compliment you on your stroke.”

“FAREEHA!”

_ Captain Amari. _ Athena interrupted again, Fareeha groaning.

“You have 10 seconds, Athena, before I use the Cain on your cores,” Fareeha threatened.

_ C-Sec is on line one. Again. _

“MOTHERF-”


	6. August 19 2077

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 - Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one for this day since I have this as part of a bigger, Lenily universe.

Angela groaned, rolling over to wrap her arm around...an empty spot. She groaned louder, opening her eye to check, sunlight already flooding the room. She could hear the water running from the bathroom, noting the time on the clock. It was still early, at least for her. Turning over, she buried her face in the pillow, allowing the lull of sleep to pull her back.

The next sound she heard was Fareeha laughing, too too close to her. “You need to get up.”

“It’s Saturday. I don’t have to,” Angela grumbled.

“What’s the date, Angela?” Fareeha inquired, voice further away. She opened her eye to look up at her fiancée. “Well?”

“It’s the...19th of August.” She said out loud. The date seemed familiar.

Fareeha rolled her eyes. “And what’s today?”

“Today is when Angela sleeps in all day,” she replied with a smile. “Without Fareeha bugging her.”

Fareeha chuckled at that, bending down to give her a kiss on the temple. “Fine. But I’m not going to be the one answering to an angry Lena.”

Lena...The 19th of August…

Angela jolted awake, sitting up immediately on the bed. She heard Fareeha laugh from the other room, “You could have reminded me!”

“You remembered anyways,” Fareeha called out. “I’ll stall for you. That’s the most I can do.”

Angela looked at the clock again, cursing in her native language before running to the bathroom to shower quickly.

* * *

“About bloody time, love!” Lena yelled out, Fareeha waving as Angela hurriedly ran behind the screen to change. Hana and Mei smirked at her, Angela just rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Lena. I overslept,” Angela replied, Hana handing her the dress she was to wear.

“Is that yours and Fareeha’s code for sex?” Hana joked, blush creeping immediately on Angela’s face.

Before she could even reply, Fareeha wrapped her arm around Hana. “Please. Like we ever need a code word.”

“Fareeha!”

“TMI! TMI!” Hana called out, Mei just shaking her head at what was happening. “Gross. Go be a pervert somewhere else.”

“Hey! You were the one implying she was late because of sex,” Fareeha suggested, standing up straight. “She went to bed late because she was in a conference call with Mehmet.”

“Again?” Lena asked, frown gracing her face. “More attacks on the lab?”

Angela nodded, trying not to let the worries of what was happening in Oasis bring her down. “We’ll deal with it after this weekend. For now, help me zip up so we can get this show on the road.”

“Right!” Lena said, zipping across the room to help Angela. All of their communicators pinged simultaneously, all of them looking at Fareeha who just nodded.

Fareeha kissed Angela quickly, waving as she started to leave. “I’ll see you out there,” she advised. The other agents just nodding as the Minister called the group to take their place.

* * *

Screams of little children filled the air along with the sound of the band, Lena and Emily dancing with one of Emily’s nephews in the middle of the dance floor. Lena had taken off her jacket from her tux, Emily having changed out of her dress in favour of a navy blue dress for the dance.

“Hey there stranger,” Angela said, smile on her face. “Is this seat taken?”

“Yes, but this isn’t,” Fareeha replied, patting her lap. Both of them laughed, Angela placing a kiss on her cheek before taking the empty chair beside her. “It was a lovely wedding.”

“Other than that one incident, yes it was,” Angela said, slipping her hand into Fareeha’s. “Lena Oxton-Stewart,” Angela tested the name. “I dont think I’d like mine hyphenated.”

“You dont have to take my name you know. I can take yours,” Fareeha informed her, taking a sip out of her beer.”

“And lose the opportunity to be at the front of the list for once?” Angela teased, nudging her shoulder. “Angela Amari. Sounds perfect to me.”

“That it does,” Fareeha smiled at Angela. “Our wedding would be better.”

“Of course,” Angela kissed Fareeha’s hand, both of them smiling as their matching rings glistened in the moonlight.


	7. Only at Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 - Nighttime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @Lycoriseum for letting me use Kamilah again.
> 
> Slight change of plans. After re-reading the two alternate versions, I decided to not post them. Day 1 was too mean and day 2 was about to get re-written again so I've decided against it entirely.

Fareeha preferred the daytime over nighttime.

There was a lot more in the day to see and do. She remembered the bakery near her house, smell of fresh baked bread the moment she opened her eyes. The sun would be up by that point and she tried to hurry her breakfast so she and her mama can walk together, her to work, and Fareeha to school

She loved the sun on her skin, the way the wind felt in her hair, the way everything seemed brighter, happier when it was bathed in sunlight. Fareeha had the privilege of growing up all over Egypt and wherever Ana was stationed but Egypt and her sun is always what she called home.

The nights though, the nights were filled with things she didn’t understand. She was scared of it at first, like all children. Nighttime was when all the bad came out.

When she was younger, she remembered running into her mama’s room crying because there was shouting in the apartment beside theirs. There was always something they were yelling about, not that Fareeha understood what about since the walls still muffled it. But she remembered the yelling of their neighbours.

Before they moved, the neighbourhood they were in was rougher, gritter. Cairo was, after all, still a hub for travellers. Where there were tourists, there was bound to be thieves, con artists and smugglers. Ana and Kamilah instilled in her that criminals need to be brought to justice, teaching her to be able to defend herself and others. But with her training, Fareeha also learned that she had to chose her fights.

Like that one time they were all walking back to their apartment, time slipping her parents mind. They had overstayed at her auntie’s, her cousin just being born. She walked in between her parents, Kamilah talking about what they were going to have for dinner, Ana shooting down most of the ideas. Ana was back for a short while from her duties with Overwatch, stopping both of them, Kamiliah trusting her wife’s judgement as they backed away.

There was a robbery, she was told later, Fareeha asking both her parents why they didn’t help. The men, 4 of them, were bigger than them, and from what Ana could see, they were carrying several guns. “You have to know when to fight, and when to retreat,” Ana told her as she tucked her in that night. “Retreating isn’t a sign of cowardice. If it saves more lives than charging in, I don’t see that as cowardice at all.”

Nighttime during her stays in Overwatch wasn’t much different from Cairo. There was different noises that kept her up; the sound of the air conditioning being on too high, the muffled talks between her parents and the other adults.

Fareeha remembered slipping out of her bed to check outside her door only for Kamilah to look at her and shake her head. It had meant the talk the rest of them were having wasn’t for her. She remembered Ana looking very tired but still seeing her by the door, gave her a smile. Ana always excused herself to tuck her back in, making sure that when she was able to, she would say goodnight to her.

The dead of night always took her Ammi away, sometimes for months and Fareeha didn’t like that part. She missed her Ammi. She missed her singing songs from her childhood, like Britney Spears and her very bad interpretation of Christina Aguilera. She missed how she and her Mama would bicker only to end up kissing in the middle of the kitchen, making her pretend gag.

“You’ll understand one day, habibti,” Kamilah told her, pinching her cheek as she set dinner down in front of her. “Love makes you do stupid things, especially if they’re worth it.”

Eventually, Fareeha learned that nighttime was essential so she can have day. She still preferred day of course but nighttime brought out other things.

Nighttime also brought forth the night street markets, something her mama and ammi kept her from until she was 15. She was angry for a full 5 seconds before she tugged them along to one of the stalls, the one selling authentic Chinese-style waffles, Kamilah and Ana both laughing at her.

It had other activities she wasn’t allowed to do when she was younger, each fun in their own way. She didn’t drink much but seeing her friends loosen up after a long day never failed to bring a smile to her face. The fact she was the designated driver most of the times they went out drinking meant she had some of the best stories to tell in the morning.

Anytime past 6 pm was also Angela’s preferred time, she had learned. When she visited the doctor when they were younger, Angela always looked tired, sleepy and slightly angry whenever she saw the sun. Fareeha had learned from Ana that the doctor doesn’t actually function until about 4 pm, which is when she would normally leave the base for the Amari apartments in the nearby town.

Angela at night was different. She was cheery, joking and flirty even. She would ask Fareeha to jog with her in the night air, Fareeha remembering that their first kiss was during one of these sessions, on the beach Angela liked to run on.

Their training sessions were mostly at night, Angela using the day to sleep or for appointments. Fareeha didn’t understand why someone would want to hide from the sun but Angela was Angela. And Angela seemingly hated the “orange fireball in the sky”.

Her phone pinged, Angela telling her she was ready and heading to the bottom garage now. Fareeha smiled, adjusting her jacket again before checking herself in the mirror one last time. Giving herself a nod, she grabbed her keys, opening the door to Lena passing by with snacks in her hands. “Don’t you look swanky,” Lena commented, giving her a whistle. “Taking Angie out are you?”

“Yes and don’t wait up for us,” Fareeha teased, giving Lena a wink before the elevator signalled it was there. “Be nice to your siblings!”

“Whatever, Mum!” Lena joked back, giving her a wave as the doors closed. She mentally tallied what was in her pockets, and which pocket they were in, before the elevator signalled she was at the lowest level of the base.

Angela was already by the motorcycle, the same one her mother had given her on her 25th birthday. She loved that bike but the smile Angela was giving her she loved more. Her hair was tied lower in preparation for the helmet she was to wear. “Where to, Captain?”

Fareeha smiled back, pulling Angela in for a kiss before getting on the bike. “Well, Doctor,” she  stopped, pretending to think about their plans. “I was hoping to get dinner by the pier then a movie at the drive through. Unless you had other ideas, that is.”

Angela shook her head. “Sounds like a plan.”

“And for dessert,” Fareeha said, liking her lips, giving Angela a grin. Angela blushed hard enough to match the red pattern on her jacket, giving Fareeha a shove before sitting behind her.

“Only of you behave,” Angela replied, voice dropping enough to make Fareeha shiver. She heard Angela giggle as she put on her helmet, Fareeha doing the same as the motorcycle started up.

Fareeha saw the perks of nighttime, especially in moments like these.


End file.
